What a whirlwind weekend.
We were going in so many directions it was somewhat chaotic. Props to our team for going the extra mile to pull it off. What a team effort. It's already crazy pulling off 7 services in 3 locations, but you throw in a Good Friday Service, Easter Eggstravaganza, four Godspell productions, and a Baptism and you've got chaos. But God still hovers over the chaos just like He did in Genesis 1. That is the best way I can describe this weekend.
Services @ Union were standing room only. Because we're 73% single twenty-somethings, our attendance typically does down on a holiday weekend, but Easter is the rare exception. Seems like alot of folks have family who make the pilgrimage to DC.
Hard to pick a highlight from the weekend, but it's tough to top a baptism. Such sacred symbolism. And to do the baptism between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday was doubly symbolic. I think we may have found a new NCC tradition--an Easter baptism.
One last thought for pastors.
Is it just me or is Easter one of the toughest messages to preach? I think I put a little extra pressure on myself :) And it is so hard to approximate the emotion we ought to feel. I really think the greatest truths are the toughest to put into words! No combination of the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet can adequately praise God for the victory He won over death. That is when you feel most dependent upon the Holy Spirit to do what only the Holy Spirit can do!
We were going in so many directions it was somewhat chaotic. Props to our team for going the extra mile to pull it off. What a team effort. It's already crazy pulling off 7 services in 3 locations, but you throw in a Good Friday Service, Easter Eggstravaganza, four Godspell productions, and a Baptism and you've got chaos. But God still hovers over the chaos just like He did in Genesis 1. That is the best way I can describe this weekend.
Services @ Union were standing room only. Because we're 73% single twenty-somethings, our attendance typically does down on a holiday weekend, but Easter is the rare exception. Seems like alot of folks have family who make the pilgrimage to DC.
Hard to pick a highlight from the weekend, but it's tough to top a baptism. Such sacred symbolism. And to do the baptism between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday was doubly symbolic. I think we may have found a new NCC tradition--an Easter baptism.
One last thought for pastors.
Is it just me or is Easter one of the toughest messages to preach? I think I put a little extra pressure on myself :) And it is so hard to approximate the emotion we ought to feel. I really think the greatest truths are the toughest to put into words! No combination of the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet can adequately praise God for the victory He won over death. That is when you feel most dependent upon the Holy Spirit to do what only the Holy Spirit can do!
5 Comments:
I told my folks the same thing this morning..Easter and Christmas are the two hardest messages to prepare for...
However, I did tell them, that there is so much rich theology in the week from Palm Sunday to Easter, that I am going to have random "Easter Sunday's" all through the year...It should keep us focused and hungry...
It's sad that we only preach from these passages once a year...Every day is Easter in my book...
Love God...Love People
chill
It was actually a total of five Godspell performances if you count Thursday. :) Just dimmed the lights on it for the last time. So proud of the cast, crew, and creative team!
My first easter as a small-church pastor was a tough one.
I hadn't thought to plan any special events, so our attendance was considerably lower than normal -- some folks were out of town, others just didn't show up.
My Easters up till then had meant Sunday dinner with parents or grandparents. This time, though, I was hours from any relatives. My wife and I took the kids to Bob Evans. I don't think the kids cared, but I was sooo depressed.
Thanks to God for improvement the 2nd year. I scheduled a pitch-in easter morning breakfast. As a bonus, a church family invited us over for dinner. Much better!
I totally agree with your Easter comments. I was feeling inadequate all week so I emailed our intercessors.
One of them replied, "Marc, Jesus already did all the work to make this a great Sunday. The only way you could mess it up would be to preach on something like the evils of pornography instead of anything relating to Easter!"
That helped put it in perspective! Jesus did do all the work.
We had a blast yesterday!
Easter sermons sometime turn into lectures on the doctrine of the resurrection. Through the years we continue to work toward this end however, it can be hard. I just try to find a creative eay to say "He (Jesus) got up."
PL
http://mondayafterthesermon.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/04/sunday_april_8_.html
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